Cockateils?

Question

How can you tell wether they are male or female?

Answer 1

The females have chevrons (like Vs) on the underside of their tail feathers. If you're looking at a typical gray, then the male will have a lot of bright yellow on his head. Otherwise, you might be able to tell by the cheek-spots. Males have bright orange cheek-spots, females have subtler coloring.

Answer 2

I've always been under the impression that cockatiels cannot be reliably visually sexed, because they're one of those species which is either not sexually dimorphic, or is only slightly sexually dimorphic with a few exceptions. I've met people and seen places that boast it can be done.

If your cockatiel is mature now, it can reliably be sexed through pelvic examination. Holding the bird with its vent (the orifice near the tail) facing upward, gently place your finger above the vent and feel for the gap which marks the meeting of the pelvic bones. If they're relatively close to eachother and are pretty rigid, it's most likely a male. If they're farther apart, and 'give' a little -- as they would have to while passing an egg -- your bird is most likely a female.

You have to know what to look for to use the above methods, and it's just more reliable to have DNA testing done. Avian biotech is on the web. You send them a couple of feathers in a collection kit that they send you, and they'll send you the sex results of your bird. They can also be surgically sexed, but it's pretty stressful for the bird, and DNA sexing is very reliable now.

Answer 3

Kaylora is correct. Em is thinking of cockaTOOs not cockaTIELs.

The sex can best be determined by the amount and placement of the yellow AFTER THE FIRST MOULT at about six to eight months. At that time the males will lose the female like coloring and will have solid grey under their tails. Females will have the yellow chevrons. This is hard to tell with pieds and Lutinos, but the yellow will tell. Now with Whitefaced birds, since there is no yellow, you're on your own. Whitefaces came along after I got out of breeding tiels.

Oh, and the sex can sometimes be determined at birth if you happened to have sex-linked colors involved. But that is a whole lesson in genetics.

Answer 4

I live near the most upscale, overpriced, snootiest bird store in the country. I'm sure of it. And I asked her about tiels. I glean information from her but could never afford a bird from her. She says that there is NO WAY to be sure of a tiels' sex. She has guessed time and time again based on all the information folks have listed here, her years and years of experience and she said she's often wrong. So don't buy anyone telling you that you can tell. I call my tiel a male because he talks a little. I had two tiels before and one talked, one preened. So I guessed the talker was male. But my current tiel preens, talks and is very loving..chirps incessantly. Could be both, lol.

Answer 5

If it's a typical gray cockatiel adult males have yellow heads while the female's head is gray. If it talks or sings it is a male. Female cockatiels almost never talk or sing. Unfortunately the only way to be %100 sure is a blood test.

Answer 6

If it's a grey color the orange patches on the cheeks will be very dark on the male, lighter on the female. If it's lutino (yellow) look for bars on the bottom side of the tail feathers.

Answer 7

Females don't have the yellow and bright colors of the males! Females are pretty much gray with less yellow and orange.

Answer 8

ours started laying eggs, she is bright yellow with orange cheeks, the males walk upside down from the top of the cage to show off for the females

Answer 9

Male cockatiels are more colorful...the females a very drab in
color...the males can learn to talk and are more vocal and social..

Answer 10

cockateil males are colourful and female cockatiels are plain. ...oh yea females lay eggs